Wedding Night
by Thundercloudfantastic
Summary: Mindy finally gets married. Set during the season finale.


**A/N: So, let me just say that the breakup absolutely killed me but I think it is a necessary evil that will make the characters grow into better people. This story is set during the season finale and is based on the picture of all four guys in a tux and the rumors that there might be a wedding. This is a bit long but I didn't feel like breaking it up into separate chapters. **

As Mindy walked into the Shulman and Associates office first thing on Monday morning, she stated in her most dramatic voice, "Attention everyone! Attention everyone! We need to have an emergency staff meeting. Everyone into the conference room right now."

Jeremy walked out of his office with a perplexed look on his face. "Mindy, what is this all about? I wasn't consulted about an emergency staff meeting."

"An emergency staff meeting doesn't really lend itself to consultation beforehand. That's why it is an emergency, Jeremy!"

"Question. Will there be any breakfast items at the emergency staff meeting?" Morgan inquired.

"No, there isn't going to be any breakfast items."

"How about coffee?"

"No, Morgan, I didn't have time to stop and get coffee for the entire office."

"Tea?"

"Aaargh, Morgan! Just go to the conference room. I have something really important to tell everyone."

"You really should have brought something for people to nibble on. I read that it's the polite thing to do in a Dear Abby letter once."

Danny hovered in the doorway of his office, amused as he hadn't witnessed dramatic Mindy in several months. Since their breakup, she had been reserved and quiet around him. So, much so that he was beginning to worry that dramatic Mindy no longer existed.

As she walked past Danny, pushing Morgan towards the conference room, she yelled, "You too Castellano!" Danny smiled big. He had really missed dramatic Mindy.

As everyone began to trickle into the conference room, Mindy began to pace back and forth at the front of the room.

Morgan and Tamra were fighting over who was going to sit down in the last remaining chair while Betsy and Beverly were discussing their favorite canned soup recipes. Danny leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, the smile still present on his face. He couldn't wait to hear her emergency news. He was sure it was going to be like the last time she called an emergency meeting to tell everyone that she was clairvoyant and had felt Elvis's presence in her kitchen after she had made a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Mindy clinked a knife against her coffee mug. "I have an important announcement." She paused for effect, with a giant grin on her face. "I'm getting married!" Everyone cheered but one.

Danny's face fell, a frown quickly replacing the grin he bared moments before. He looked down at the floor, taking in the magnitude of the news. He didn't even know that she had been dating anyone.

When he looked up, he saw that Peter was looking at him with concern and a bit of sadness. He immediately put on a stoic face, hoping that his initial reaction didn't reveal too much to Peter or anyone else. He didn't want Peter feeling sorry for him. He was fine. He was going to be fine. Besides, he was happy for her. Mindy deserved to be happy and if this guy made her happy, then he was happy…

Betsy was the first to speak. "Oh, Dr. L. This is amazing! I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to help you plan your wedding."

"Oh, I've already planned it. It will be this Saturday and you're all invited!" More cheers erupted from her colleagues.

"Congratulations Mindy! Who is the lucky chap?" Jeremy asked as he patted her on the back.

"Oh, well, you'll see at the wedding."

"Where is the wedding?" Peter asked.

"At the top of the Empire State Building! It will be a small and covert wedding. Just Gwen, her husband, and all of you."

"Can I bring the stray kitten that I rescued behind the Chinese restaurant down the street?" Morgan asked. "We can tie the rings to its collar and it can be the ring bearer."

"No, Morgan, you cannot bring any kittens, puppies, dogs, cats, or other living animal to my wedding. Do you understand?" Mindy sternly responded.

"Okay, but it isn't much of a wedding without a ring bearer."

"Good point, Morgan. I don't have a ring bearer." She paused, contemplating with herself if she was really going to ask the next question. "Morgan, will you do me the honor of being my ring bearer?"

Morgan hugged Mindy, picking her off the ground before responding, "I'll be the best ring bearer of all time, Dr. L. I promise!"

"You know, come to think of it. I don't really have a wedding party." Mindy smiled.

"Jeremy, will you give me away?"

"I'd be honored." Jeremy responded as he started to get a little misty. She always knew he was a softy under that lothario persona.

"Peter, will Mr. Wedding be my usher? Navigate the crowd, dance to really bad wedding music, and make sure that everyone has a good time."

"I was hoping for best man…but, I think Mr. Wedding can handle that."

"Betsy, Tamra, and Beverly, will you all be my bridesmaids?"

Betsy squealed in delight, too overcome with emotion to verbally respond.

"I haven't been a bridesmaid since Liza Minelli's second marriage." Beverly deadpan.

"Only if I get to pick out my own dress. I'm not goin' wear an ugly dress just so you can look better." Tamra sassed.

Danny stood back, watching this all unfold. He was getting ready to leave when he heard his name.

"Danny," she looked at him hesitantly. "Will you be my best man?"

"Brides don't have a best man. They have a maid of honor."

"Do you want to be my maid of honor then?" she smirked.

"No, of course not!"

"Well, good, because Gwen is going to be my maid of honor and it would have been awkward asking her to step down. Besides, brides can have whatever they want. It's my special day, and I want you to be my best man. Are you going to deny a bride what she wants on her wedding day, Danny?"

The rest of their colleagues looked at him as though he had kicked a puppy.

"No. I guess not. Fine, I'll be your best man." He resigned.

"Excellent! Well, I guess that's settled. It's formal attire by the way. Boys have to wear tuxedos and girls have to wear formal dresses. And, yes, Tamra, you can pick out your own dress as long as the dress is either in the color of blush or bashful – pink is my signature color after all.

"Now, get back to work, you slackers!" Mindy beamed as she looked at her band of misfit toys. She really did love everyone in that room.

* * *

The rest of the week was torture for Danny. Mindy floated around the office, talking to Betsy and Tamra every chance she got about the upcoming wedding. They chatted about her dress, their dresses, her bouquet, and the cake all week while standing outside of his office. Even Peter and Jeremy were caught up in the wedding planning as they were put in charge of sneaking the cake and champagne into the Empire State Building.

Mindy looked happier than Danny had seen her in a really long time. At times, she looked almost as happy as when they were together. He, on the other hand, was absolutely miserable. He tried not to show it too much as he didn't want to ruin Mindy's big day, or as she had insisted her big week. He stayed mostly in his office with the door closed, venturing out only when he had too.

He realized that it wasn't fair for him to feel this way since he was the one who had broken things off with her. He knew that he should be happy for her and, in a small way, he was happy for her. This, after all, was what she had wanted all along – a marriage, a family – all of the things that he couldn't give her. But, god, it hurt so fucking bad to know that he had lost her for good.

* * *

Danny woke up with a pounding headache on Saturday morning, copious amounts of bourbon the night before the cause. He starred up at his ceiling for a long time, unable and unwilling to get out of bed. Today was the day, he sighed; the day that he had been dreading since he sat on Mindy's bed and told her, "I know me. I'll ruin this." Mindy was getting married and, although he would be standing by her side as her best man, he wouldn't be the one to put a ring on her finger, promise to love and cherish her until death due them part, or kiss his bride.

Danny realized that he couldn't lie in bed all day. If he really cared about Mindy, he knew that he needed to make sure that he was there for her today, no matter how much it hurt him. He climbed out of bed, heading to his kitchen for a tall glass of water, two aspirin, and a very strong cup of coffee.

* * *

Mindy had told everyone to be at the top of the Empire State Building at 8pm. He arrived 10 minutes early and saw Betsy standing in the corner with Jeremy and Beverly, each one holding a package of different layers of the wedding cake.

"Hi, Dr. C. You look very handsome in your tux." Betsy stammered.

"Thanks." He stated sheepishly, having not yet dealt with Betsy's earlier declaration of love. "Have you guys seen Mindy yet?"

"No, I got a text from Peter saying that they were standing in line downstairs and it would probably be another 15 minutes."

"Oh, she's with Peter, huh." He stated, feeling a little jealous that she had grown so close to Peter over the last couple of months.

"Do either of you know who the lucky guy is?" Betsy asked.

"No, Mindy was surprisingly mum about that detail of her wedding." Jeremy stated suspiciously.

Morgan and Tamra arrived together holding hands. "Will you look at my girl? She's the most beautiful woman here." Morgan beamed as he twirled Tamra around.

"Not quite," Danny whispered as he caught a glimpse of Mindy walking toward them. She was wearing a white strapless, floor-length Grecian gown with crystal detailing around her waist. Her black hair was down with soft curls framing her face, rosy cheeks, and soft pale pink lips. To Danny, she looked absolutely stunning.

She was laughing at something Peter said and looking blissfully happy. Carl and Gwen following close behind them.

"Great! Everyone's here!" Mindy grinned.

"Dr. L, I think you are forgetting someone." Morgan rolled his eyes, gesturing as though it were obvious. "The groom. Am I right, Dr. P?"

"Well, I think this is a good as times as any to tell them the truth. Don't you think, Peter?"

"Mindy, please tell me that you are not marrying Peter." Jeremy asked exasperated.

"Hey! Would that be _so_ bad? I'm not a monster!" Peter yelled.

Danny looked on hoping against all hope that she was not marrying Peter.

"No, I'm not marrying Peter, although I would be lucky to have a guy like Peter."

"Thanks, Min! And I would be lucky to be with a girl like you."

"Enough! What is going on, Mindy?" Jeremy begged.

"Today, in front of all of my best friends, I'm going to promise to love, honor, obey, and cherish myself for as long as I shall live! I'm going to marry myself!"

Everyone gave her a questioning look, clearly stunned by her news.

"White girl problems…" Tamra dismissively stated crossing her arms in front of her.

"Tamra, I am a brown woman!"

"Well, I think it is a marvelous idea!" Jeremy smiled.

"Danny, you're suspiciously quiet, what do you think about all of this?"

Danny was stunned and he wasn't sure how to respond. There was a big part of him that wanted to grab her and tell her that she was crazy and impulsive and that's why he loved her. He wanted to tell her that she should be marrying him and he would promise to love, honor, obey, and cherish her for as long as she lives. But no matter how bad he wanted to say those things, there was another part, a much bigger part, that just couldn't bring himself to say them.

"I think you could do worse."

Mindy laughed as her eyes locked with his. He smiled back at her, giving her one of his trademark grins.

"That's really funny, Danny. I agree – I could do a lot worse. Let's do this!"

Carl was officiating after getting his license off the internet as Mindy was too embarrassed to explain to a real minister that she wanted to marry herself. He stood down at the end of the little impromptu runway that they had created. Danny also stood down at the end of the runway where the best man would traditionally wait next to the groom. Morgan, as the ring bearer, walked down the runway first, carrying the small diamond encrusted ring that Mindy had bought for herself on a tiny pillow. Beverly, Tamra, Betsy, and then Gwen followed shortly behind him. Mindy, with her arms encircled around Jeremy's, slowly walked down the runway while Peter played the wedding march on his phone behind them.

As he watched Mindy walk down the aisle, a lump formed in Danny's throat. He was in awe of how beautiful she looked. He had thought that if Mindy ever walked down a runway in a wedding dress towards him that it would be for a very different reason than tonight. She glanced at him only once while she made her way down, smiling slightly before looking down to the ground and then straight ahead.

When asked who gives this bride away, Jeremy responded, "Shulman and Associates."

"Thank you," Mindy replied.

The rest of the ceremony was simple and sweet. Everyone was a little bit emotional. Morgan cried throughout the entire ceremony and even Tamra shed a small tear or two when Mindy said "I do" to the question of whether she would love, honor, obey and cherish herself.

* * *

"Hey, lil' bro. How's it going?" Peter asked as he approached Danny, placing his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine."

"Are you fine?"

"Yeah, sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, maybe, because you just watched the woman that you love walk down the aisle in a wedding dress and marry herself instead of you."

"Did you know that she was marrying herself?"

"I didn't know until this afternoon. I can't say I was surprised when she told me."

"Why is that?" Danny inquired.

"Because she's still a little bit in love with the practice so I couldn't imagine that she would be ready to get married to anyone else."

"She's definitely not in love with the practice."

"Danny, you need to get your head out of your ass, or you are going to lose her. Because some day, in the not too distant future, some guy is going to come along and be smart enough to hold on to her. And the next time she's in a wedding dress and walking down the aisle, there is going to be dude at the other end. You need to decide whether you want that dude to be you or some other guy!"

Peter walked away, not waiting for a response from Danny.

Danny scanned the crowd, finding what he was looking for.

* * *

Danny walked up to Mindy as she starred out into the NYC skyline, leaning against the ledge of the Empire State Building.

"You look really beautiful, Min," he uttered in awe.

"Thanks," she said softly as she continued to look out at the twinkling lights of the city. "The city looks so amazing from up here, don't you think?"

He nodded as he turned towards the direction that she was starring into. For the next few minutes, they stood silently next to each other with their shoulders slightly touching as the warm breeze engulfed them and they admired the view.

"I think we need to talk," he whispered as his head turned in her direction and he glimpsed into her eyes. "There are so many things…I just want…I know that I…"

"Danny, it's okay," she stated hesitantly as she turned towards him. As she looked into his dark eyes, she realized that he looked lost and broken and that he had been that way for a really long time. "I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me anymore," she said as she gave him a reassuring smile and put her hand on his arm, giving it a small squeeze before removing her hand.

Turning back to the city lights, she was quiet for a few moments before continuing. "I'll admit that when you broke up with me, it was probably the hardest breakup that I've ever gone through. I wasn't sure I would be able to recover. But, looking back on it now, I'm glad you broke up with me because it forced me, probably for the first time in my life, to really evaluate myself and the choices I've made.

"I've spent my whole life waiting for some guy to come along and fulfill me, to make me feel pretty and wanted and loved. I wanted so much to be in a relationship and get married that I settled for the wrong guys. And I was perfectly happy to change as much as I thought I needed to in order to stay in those relationships. But, over the last couple of months, I've done a lot of soul searching and I've come to realize that I can't wait around for some perfect guy who may not exist to make me feel worthy and loved. That is something that is going to have to come from within. This is going to sound incredibly cliché but I needed to learn to love myself first before I was ever going to be able to find the love that I deserve with someone else."

She continued looking straight ahead, not daring to look at him as she barred her innermost thoughts.

"And for the first time in my whole life, I love myself, flaws and all. I'm not saying I don't have a lot of work to do. I'm a work in progress and this project is always under construction, but I'm not going to let a guy define me ever again. This is why I planned this stupid Wedding for myself. I wanted to make the commitment in front of my best friends to always love myself."

She turned back towards him with a big smile on her face, "Plus, I wanted to wear a pretty dress and eat cake at the top of the Empire State Building! Really, is that so wrong?"

Danny smiled slightly as his heart broke into a million pieces. He had already lost her. He understood her speech for what it was; her way of saying that she had moved on.

"I'm really glad you're here, Danny. I want us to be friends again. I'm ready."

"I want us to be friends again too. So much." He choked a little; a lump in his throat beginning to form again.

"Okay, well, as your friend, I'm going to say something and you probably aren't going to like it, but I think this is something that you need to hear. Okay?"

"Okay." His eyes looked down as he waited for the final nail in the coffin, for her to tell him that it could never be between them.

"I want you to be happy, Danny. You _deserve_ to be happy." She paused to collect herself before her emotions took over. "You _deserve_ to be loved."

He looked up at her, meeting her eyes as tears were falling down his cheek. He didn't bother to wipe them away. He stood completely still, letting her witness his vulnerability for the first time in months.

"I hope one day you will let yourself be happy."

With her own tears starting to roll down her cheeks, she continued, "You are a man that deserves to be loved, Danny."

She placed a small kiss on his cheek before turning around and walking towards Peter, Morgan, and Jeremy, who were laughing and joking with Beverly, Betsy, and Tamra. As Mindy approached them, she hugged Gwen. The group smiled and raised their plastic champagne flutes while Jeremy toasted the blushing bride.

Danny watched on unable to bring himself to join them.

**A/N: What can I say, I love angst!? Plus, I really liked the idea of Mindy marrying herself. I think it is something that she would absolutely do. Leave me a review and let know what you think. **


End file.
